Campaign reacts to outcome of National Assembly debate on Family Fund

13 March 2017

Carers Wales, Contact a Family Cymru and Learning Disability Wales would like to thank all the families who contacted their Assembly Members this month to back over 4000 low income families with disabled children during the debate on Wednesday 8th March.

At very short notice there was a great response from across
Wales with over 460 people taking action and sending 1644 emails to
their Assembly Members in just 4 days; many adding how the
£5.5million cut to the Family Fund in Wales has affected them and
their families personally.

These individual stories were quoted throughout the debate,
clearly demonstrating that this is not a general issue of project
funding for voluntary organisations but one which has a direct
negative impact on thousands of low income families with disabled
children across Wales. The Assembly Member briefings provided by
Carers Wales, Contact a Family Cymru and Learning Disability Wales
were also referred to throughout.

We would also like to thank Rhun ap Iorwerth AM Plaid Cymru for
tabling the debate and speaking so strongly in support of families
with disabled children. Positive contributions were also made
by:

Mark Isherwood (North Wales)(Con)

Dai Lloyd (South Wales West)(PC)

Caroline Jones (South Wales West)(UKIP)

Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)(PC)

Nathan Gill (North Wales)(Ind)

Bethan Jenkins (South Wales West)(PC)

All of the above Assembly Members highlighted the vital support
Family Fund grants provide to low income families with disabled
children; support which continues to be fully funded in Scotland,
Northern Ireland and England, but Welsh Government has chosen to
severely restrict in Wales. A decision which has resulted in over
4000 families per year being unable to access grants of an average
of £500.

Welsh Government responded to the debate, choosing to focus
instead on Welsh Government's general project funding for the third
sector and support for voluntary organisations working with
disabled children and their families across Wales.

When it came to the vote, all opposition parties (27 AMs) voted
in favour of the motion calling on Welsh Government to look again
at their decision to cut funding to low income families with
disabled children via individual grants from the Family Fund or
another route, but the Labour group (28 AMs) voted against, so the
motion was not agreed and there was no commitment in the chamber
from Welsh Government to reconsider their decision.

However, Carers Wales, Contact a Family Cymru and Learning
Disability Wales will continue to campaign on this important issue
and discuss ways forward with Welsh Government.

Once opposition debates are put to the vote at the
Assembly it is to be expected that the Labour party, who
currently have a majority, require their AMs to back the
Government. However, the Assembly as a whole and Welsh Government
has now heard directly from families - via their emails and during
the debate - about the negative impact the £5.5million cut to
Family Fund grants is having on low income families with disabled
children across Wales.